Disappearing turret



8. E. HITT, DISAPPEARING TURRET.

APPLICATION FILED Mn. 21. ms.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEyEJ'S-SHEET l Fl 6. l.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES.

maafwn "im /44M .S. E. HITT.

DISAPPEARING TURRET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 191B.

P3tentedAug. 31,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 3.

I VENTOR:

- JW//W WITNESSES:

S. E. HITT.

DISAPPEARING TURRET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 27. 1918.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FlC-LZ FIG.6.

S. E. HITT.

DISAPPEARING TURRET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 27, ms.

1 ,35 1 383 Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FIG. 8.

1 u an 11011110111 a '11).

wwwessas: INVENTOR:

S. E. HITT.

DISAPPEARING TURRET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-27,1918- 1 ,35 1 ,383, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

UNITED STATES SAMUEL E. HIT'I. OF ELYRIA, OHIO.

DISAPPEARING TURRET.

Application filed March 27.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL E.'Hrrr, 1citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county ofLorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Army use in Defensive Warfare, hereinaftercalled Disappearing Turrets, of which the followingis a specification.

The world war seems to demonstrate that present methods of trenchwarfare have been so extensively developed that they are not likely tobe superseded by radically different methods during this war andtherefore that any steps taken to make our trenches safer, are in theright direction. Before a charge by theenemy, the first line trench isgenerally subjected to a heavy bombardment, and more or less leveled.The men are thus either driven out or lost,

so that when the enemy arrives there is not a sufiicient force left tohold it.

An object of my invention is to provide a turret for machine gunnerslocated near the trench, strong enough to withstand ordinarybombardment, to be in readiness in case of attack.

A further object of my invention is to provide a turret with a floordoor opening into an underground passageway connecting to the nearesttrench.

A further object of my invention is to provide a turret which can beeasily operated, raised to firing height, or lowered to ground level outof sight, as desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a turret which can becovered with such earth or other material as shall make the turretpractically invisible to the enemy in daytime A further object of myinvention is to provide a turret which can be raised or lowered by theoperator from within by manual power.

A further object of my invention is to provide a turret which can beturned llOIlzontally in either direction without limitation by theoperator from within by manual power.

A further object of my invention is to provide a turret in which boththe vertical Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 224,962.

and horizontal movements can be conveniently controlled by the operatorat the same time.

made in a number of parts to facilitate transportation and erection.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flexible apparatus,noteasily put out of order, but easy to repair.

A further object of my invention is to ventilate the turret without inany way endangering its occupants.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional plan showingrelative position of turret and trench. Fig. 2 is a vertical section onthe line If t of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line it uof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the turret on the line w 'w ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front view of the turning and elevating mechanism.Fig. 6 is a side view and partial section of the turning mechanism onthe line 1 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side view and partial section of theelevating mechanism on the line 2 z of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a partialsection of the turret and connecting rod on the line If t of Fig. 1.Fig. 9 is a plan of the carriage. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of thecaster on the line a w of Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a partial section of thetrack and carriage mounted on wheels with flat treads. Fig. 12 is apartial plan of the turret floor, showing the trap door closed. Fig. 13is a part vertical section of the turret and trap door locked in closedposition. Fig. 14.is1.a part vertical section of the turret andventilator as mounted. Fig. 15 is an elevation of the same.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the turret connected by the passageway 2 with the trench3. 4 is a branch chamber for the counterweight The turret 1 is movablewithin the casing 5.

In Fig. 2', the turret 1 is shown in its highest positiomwith a'gunnerusing a-machme gun. A ladder 6 hangs from the turret 1 and is accessiblefrom steps 7 placed in the passa eway 2. I

n Fig. 3, the turret is shown in'its lowest position, the top of theturret being level with the ground. The top of the turretl is recessedand is filled with earth 8 similar to the adjoining ground to make itpractically invisible to the enemy. The turret shell 1, being made ofsteel plate threeeighths of an inch thick, is quite heavy and isbalanced by the connecting rod 9, balance beam 10 and counterweight 11.The weight of the turret shell 1, beam 10 and counter- :weight 1-1 issupported by the pin 12, bearin'gil', :block 15 andfoundationdG; Thedoor 17 is hinged at 18 and locked by a bar 19 and is ordinarilyleft-closed, the nners shooting through the port holes 20, which canalso'be closed by'a coverplate 21 and locked by fingers .21, whichengage bolts 2.1" and thumb nuts 21. The turret shell 1 is surrounded bya casing 5 buried in the ground, with the top of the casing at groundlevel and supported by timbers 22 or other suitable framework. Theturret is turned to the right or left by the horizontal handwhee'l 24and is raised or lowered by the vertical hand :wheel 25. To accomplishthis purpose, a combination circular track and internal gear 26 issecured inside the casing-5 zit-the bottom and on this track is mountedthe carriage'27, shown in Fig. 9.

' i The turning and elevating mechanism is shown more indetail in Figs.5, 6, 7 and 9 where the carriage frame is seen to consist of two bars28separated by castings 29, 30

-anda=31 which-ra-rry track wheels 32 that run upon the circular track26. The hand wheel 24 is mounted on a shaft 33 and is held in place bybrackets 34 and The upper portion of the shaft 33 is round on account ofthe hand wheel 24, bearing 34 r and tufiing box 36, and is square belowthe turret floor 37. The square portion 38.01? the shaft passes throughthe sleeves 39 which turn in bearings 40 in bracket 30, and passes alsothrough the pinion 41, held between 'the sleeves 39, and engaging withthe internal gear 42 on the track 26. It is apparent that the motion ofthe hand wheel 24 is transmitted through shaft 38 to pinion 41 whichrolls upon the stationary 'gear 42, giving rise to motion of thecarriage 27 which is further transmitted to the turret shell 1, by thelugs 43 engaging the guides 44 mounted on the turret shell 1.

' To raise the. turret, the hand wheel 25 is turned clockwise and tolower, counterclockwise. The hand wheel 25 is mounted on the bracket 45andcarries the pinion 46 which engages the rack 47 on the shaft 48 whichis securely fastened to bracket 29 by one or more keys 49 and 50. Theshaft 458 is necessarily mounted with considerable play or flexibility.The key 50.is provided to carry the load and the ke 49 for safety incase the key 50 should f ail. The track wheels 32 are shown with a Vtread in Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 9, butare preferably provided with a. fiattread 91, wider than the track 26, as shown in Fig. 11, to allowenonghlateral motion of the carriage to compensate forirregularitiesinthemotion of the turret. When the operator has raised orlowered the turret 1, to'the desired-elevatiom'it is locked in positionby turning the small hand wheel 51 on the set screw 52. The track wheelpins 53 are arranged for easy removalfrom the inside. i

The stufiing boxes 36 act both'as guides for the shafts 33 and 48 andalso to keep the turret chamber gas tight. Thefioor opening 54 shown inFig. 4, is provided with a trap door 92 shown in Figs. 12 and 13, hingedat 86, which is also made gas tight and furnished with a fasteningdevice operable from within, for cases of emergency, consisting of ahandle bar 87 mounted on top of the door 92 in bearings 88 and carryingpawls 89 which engage lugs 90on the shell 1 when the handle is thrownover against the shell as shown in Fi 13.

. In Fig. 8, the construction 0 the turret is shown more in detail. Theventilator holes 55 in the side shell 56 are located directly undertherecess top 57 and are spaced to match similar holes in the movable:guard angle 58, which is held in place by clips 59. This guard angle 58is bent up to shield the holes 55 so that the occupants of the turretcannot be shot through these openings with enough clearance between theangle and top plate-57 to equal the ventila-ting area of the holes 55,In case of approaching gas, the guard angle 58 can be shifted by handuntil the holes 55 are completely covered. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15,the ventilator holes 93 in the guard an gle 58 are spaced to match theholes 55 in the turret shell 56. The guard angle 58 has a sliding fit inthe shell 56 and can easily be shifted by hand. The guard angle 58 issupported by rollers 94 which turn on pins 95 carried by the clips 59which are secured to the shell 56 by the rivets 96.

- The guard angle 58 is moved bv hand until the pin 97 engages the clip59, when the holes 93 all come opposite or mat-ch the holes 55 in theshell 56 and the ventilator is pen, .r I

When it is desired to close the ventilator. the guard angle 58 is movedby hand in the opposite direction until the pin 98 engages the clip'59-,when the holes 93 in' theguard angle 58 are miday between and clearof the holes'55 in the shell as and'tlie mutate; is closed. Cornerbraces 60 are provided between the shell 561and the top plate 57, toprevent the top plate from giving way in case of external pressure asfrom a hand grenade. As nothing of this kind could be made to withstandthe impact of'heavy projectiles, the gunners only man the turret intimes of action. On account of the small area of the turret and itsearth covering, it is probable that few of them will be put out ofcommission during a bombardment. The turret shell 56 is supported by thefloor plate 37, floor beams 61 and cross beams 62, at the center ofwhich is secured the bearing 63 for .the pin 64, integral with the yoke65 for the pin 66 which has a bearing in the upper end of the connectingrod 9. The turret l pivots on the pin 64 for horizontal rotation, thevertical load being transmitted through ball bearings 67 to reducefriction and the manual power required for turning. The lower end ofconnecting rod 9 carries the yoke 68 and pin 69 which is supported bysuitable brackets 70 on the balance beam 10. As shown in Fig. 3, thecounterweight 11 is suspended from the other end of beam 10 by suitablepin connection 71.

In Fig. 10, the caster roller has a cushion tire 72. preferably ofleather, center 73, pin 74, yoke 75, stem 76, threaded collar 77, spring78, washer 79, mounted in the casing 80, bonnet 81 and cap 82. Thecasing 80 is mounted in the turret shell 56 with tap bolts 83 so that itcan be removed easily from the inside. Four of these casters are placed90 degrees apart as shown in Fig. 4. one set near the bottom of theturret and one set near the center. as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of my invention is as follows: on receiving orders, thegunner and gunners mate or other assistant, pass from trench 3 topassageway 52, mount the stairs 7, climb the ladder 6, enter the turretthrough the floor opening 5-1, closing the door after them, theoperator, manning the hand wheels 24 and 9.5 turning the turret to bringone of the port holes 20 to bear upon the enemys position and raisingthe turret to the desired elevation locks the turret with the hand wheel51, whereupon the gunner opens the port hole 20, inserts his machinegun. and starts firing. When firing ceases, the turret is lowered andturned to bring the ladder opposite the steps 7.

As long as the turret casing 5 remains vertical and the turret floor 3?horizontal. it is not necessary to lock the turret against accidentalturning, but in case they should get tilted, the weight of the men mighthave a tendency to start the turret turning. and in that case the turretcan be locked against horizontal rotation by the set screw 84 and handwheel 85.

- *"I have herein described andshown what 1 consider-the best manner ofmaking my invention, consistingof a disappearing bomb proof turret'formachine gunners that can be quickly operated by one man and ifnecessary, by the gunner himself, by manual power. ne of the principaladvantages of this construction herein shown, is that owing to the handwheels being placed at one side, the central space in the turret isclear for the use of the gunner.

lVhen an army expects to use a trench for some time, the turret casing 5can be set in concrete. It is considered ordinarily, that concreteshould not be used, so that the casing can be easily taken up andremoved to another location.

For the information of those wishing to build my invention, the turretis designed with an outside diameter of six feet, four and one-halfinches and a height inside of six feet, six inches, with three-quartersof an inch clearance between turret and easing, making the insidediameter of turret casing six feet, six inches, the casing having adepth of eight feet. I

If found advisable from experience gained in the field, the clearancebetween the turret and the casing can be increased to two or threeinches and the casters made with longer springs to suit.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for defensive warfare, a manually operated turret formachine gunners consisting of a cylindrical metallic casing embedded inthe ground, a cylindrical metallic turret chamber movable within thesaid casing, counterbalance means for the said turret chamber, asupporting track mounted on the said casing, a carriage to run on thesaid track, means for preventing relative rotative movement of theturret chamber and carriage, a supporting rod with a rack mounted on thesaid carriage, a hand wheel and a pinion engaging the said rack mountedwithin and on the said turret chamber for the purpose of raising andlowering the same, and means for locking the said hand wheel to hold thesaid turret chamber at any desired elevation. substantially asspecified.

2. In apparatus for defensive warfare. a manually operated turret formachine gunners consisting of a cylindrical metallic casing embedded inthe ground, a cylindrical metallic turret chamber movable within thesaid casing, counterbalance means for the said turret chamber. asupporting track mounted on the said casing, a carriage to run on thesaid track, means for preventing relative rotative movement of theturret chamber and carriage, an annular gear mounted on the said casing,a horizontal hand'wheel mounted on and within the said a: memes turretchamber upon a vertical shaft ex- In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature glniiizng through the said cfilrrliage, the said in thepresence of two witnesses. a carryingapinionw'c eaeste said annular gearfor the purpog o turn- S M E 5 ing the said carriage and turret chamberWitnesses: z

relatively to the casing and ground, substan- DAVID H. Pmmy', tially asspecified. AXEL F 0m

